Ginkgo Biloba is the botanical name of an ancient tree species known for its fan-shaped leaves and whose seeds and leaves have been used for decades by tradition as herbal remedies.
- Ginkgo refers to the only surviving genus in the family Ginkgoaceae. Ginkgo is known to be one of the oldest trees in existence, with a history dating back millions of years.
- Biloba refers to the characteristic bilobed shape of the tree's leaves. Ginkgo Biloba leaves are easily recognizable for their distinctive shape, resembling two lobes joined at the base.
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Water Industrial Production
- Distillation of Ginkgo Biloba leaves. During distillation, steam gently extracts volatile compounds from the leaves, which are then condensed to form leaf water.
- Purification. After distillation, Ginkgo Biloba leaf water is purified to remove any impurities.
- Quality Control. Ginkgo Biloba leaf water undergoes quality testing to ensure it meets the required standards in terms of purity and concentration of bioactive compounds.
Form and Color
Products derived from the processing of Ginkgo Biloba are generally liquids or powders. The color can vary from light brown to dark brown, depending on the concentration and method of extraction.
What it is for and where
Ginkgo Biloba is a plant discussed used in dietary supplements and brain health products for asserted nootropic properties i.e., improving blood circulation, particularly to the brain, and for its potential antioxidant properties. It is also used to improve memory and concentration and to treat age-related cognitive disorders. However, recently some studies have found evidence of the carcinogenic activity of this extract in mice, and this extract has been classified as a possible human carcinogen (Group 2B) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (1).
Cosmetics
Fragrance. It plays a very important role in the formulation of cosmetic products as it provides the possibility of enhancing, masking or adding fragrance to the final product, increasing its marketability. It is able to create a perceptible pleasant odour, masking a bad smell. The consumer always expects to find a pleasant or distinctive scent in a cosmetic product.
Perfuming. Unlike fragrance, which can also contain slightly less pleasant or characteristic odours, the term perfume indicates only very pleasant fragrances. Used for perfumes and aromatic raw materials.
Skin conditioning agent. It is the mainstay of topical skin treatment as it has the function of restoring, increasing or improving skin tolerance to external factors, including melanocyte tolerance. The most important function of the conditioning agent is to prevent skin dehydration, but the subject is rather complex and involves emollients and humectants that can be added in the formulation.
Flavoring agent. The purpose of this ingredient is to modify the solution to impart a certain flavour. Natural flavouring extracts are rather expensive, so the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries resort to synthesised substances that have sensory characteristics mostly similar to natural flavourings or are naturally equivalent. This ingredient is isolated through chemical processes or is synthesised from chemicals. It is also referred to as Aroma.
CAS 90045-36-6
EC Number 289-896-4
Safety
It appears that Ginkgo Biloba, in a long-term French study, did not reduce the risk of progression to Alzheimer's disease compared with placebo (2), and neither did this herb show differences compared with placebo for memory, attention, visual-spatial skills, language, and executive functions in a study also conducted in the U.S. in 3,069 participants (3). In addition, other studies have shown the toxicity of Ginkgo Biloba leaves or seeds, which may moreover interact with aspirin, warfarin, trazodone, omeprazole, antihypertensive agents, and antihyperglycemic agents (4).
